Harrell successfully cleared waivers after being designated for assignment earlier this month, which is an indication of how far his stock has fallen since he posted a 3.76 ERA over 32 starts in 2012. The 28-year-old had an ugly 5.86 ERA and a league-leading 88 walks in 153 2/3 innings last year and was finally given the boot after posting a 9.49 ERA in three starts this year.

The Astros likely would have received a nice return had they traded Harrell after his 2012 season, but they either decided to keep him around or didn’t find an offer to their liking. Still, it looks like a missed opportunity now.

This move shows how Kevin Towers’ trades have decimated the DBacks farm system. Bauer last year, Holmberg this offseason to get someone to inherit the Heath Bell contract. Now they have Wolf (coming off TJ surgery) and now Harrell as their ‘go-to’ depth guys behind the worst starting rotation in MLB so far this year. Towers has been even worse with the DBacks than in his latter Padre years, and that is saying something. Fits perfectly with Kendrick’s baseball acumen.

Lovely…. That’s a real difference maker. KT sure knows what he’s doing. WOW the team is really going backwards fast and ultimately it goes right back to Kendrick… It’s one thing not to spend money it’s another to trade talent for supposed grit. Last time I checked grit was sh#t at 8-20

And the money that would have been saved for a not exactly flush team by not extending Putz, adding Ross, Cahill salaries (and fading skills), etc. The Towers regime has been just as disastrous as Byrnes. The common thread–Kendrick. Now the DBacks will be broke, with a decimated farm system, just in time to negotiate a new TV contract. Hope the ownership group wakes up and sends Kendrick away. Kendrick can root for the team from the stands, he is a great baseball enthusiast with no aptitude for the game and its management. Its past time for Kendrick to retire, step away, get canned, whatever it takes.